THE OPENING TIP
Indiana opens the postseason seeded sixth in the 2008 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament presented by Xbox 360 Live and will face the 11th-seeded Northwestern Wildcats. The Hoosiers are 13-14 all-time in the tournament and 1-1 against the Wildcats. Catch all of the action live from Conseco Fieldhouse as Jeremy Gray calls the battle between IU and Northwestern on WHCC 105.1 FM Bloomington. Thursday's game will also be carried live on the Big Ten Network.

THE COACHES
IU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack is in her second year at the helm of the Hoosier program with a career mark of 90-90 over six seasons. She led the Hoosiers to the third round of the 2007 WNIT and to a 19-14 overall mark last season.

Northwestern head coach Beth Combs holds a career coaching mark of 68-139 over seven seasons. She enters her fourth season at Northwestern with a mark of 24-94 at the helm of the Wildcat program.

NOTES OF INTEREST
 Thursday's game marks the 59th all-time between Indiana and Northwestern.

 The Hoosiers are 7-4 all-time in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

 IU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack picked up her 90th career win on Sunday, March 2 when the Hoosiers defeated Penn State, 79-67. She has a record of 36-27 in her second year at Indiana.

 The 8,136 fans in attendance on March 2 was the most fans to ever see an Indiana women's basketball game in Assembly Hall.

 Indiana's win over Penn State was just its sixth in the history of the series and its fourth in the last seven years.

 Jamie Braun's 15 points against Penn State on March 2 helped her eclipse the 800-mark in scoring. She has scored 807 points in just 63 games as a Hoosier.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Northwestern enters the 2008 Big Ten Tournament as the 11th seed with an overall mark of 5-25. The Wildcats finished the Big Ten slate with a mark of 1-17, with a 70-58 win over Penn State on Feb. 24.

The Wildcats are led by Amy Jaeschke who is averaging 13.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. They are shooting 36.5 percent from the floor as a team and are averaging 52.8 points and 35.9 rebounds per game.

LAST TIME VS. NORTHWESTERN
Four scored in double-digits as the Indiana women's basketball team defeated Northwestern, 74-58, in Assembly Hall on Thursday, Feb. 7.

Jamie Braun led Indiana with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor. Amber Jackson added 14 points and Whitney Thomas collected her 10th double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 boards. Haylie Linn netted 10 points off the IU bench.

The Hoosiers and Wildcats battled point-for-point for the first 15 minutes of the game until three straight 3-pointers by Linn, Braun and Kim Roberson sparked a 15-3 IU run that gave Indiana a 36-23 lead at the end of the first stanza.

Braun led the Hoosiers with 12 points in the first half sinking 5-of-7, including a pair of 3-pointers.

IU jumped out of the break on a 12-4 run to take a 48-27 lead at the 14:09 mark. The Hoosiers never looked back as they led by at least 14 points en route the 74-58 win.

Thomas' double-double was the 20th of her career. Amber Jackson and Ebony Jackson grabbed seven boards apiece as the Hoosiers won the battle of the boards, 46-40. IU collected 14 steals off of 23 Northwestern miscues, and shot 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from beyond the arc.

Amy Jaeschke led all players with 26 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field and Nadia Bibbs recorded a double-double for the Wildcats with 11 points and 12 rebounds.